Blog:AvtoVAZ hits milestone

Job#27m has rolled off the line at the AvtoVAZ plant. It was a Lada Priora in a not massively fetching 'snow queen' grey. You can perhaps see why Lada is struggling in the Russian car market with designs like this (functional hatchback at an attractive price, I'm sure, but also highly reminiscent of an early-1990s Ford Escort). And the Priora has to soldier on until 2016.

So, the challenge is clearly there for Renault-Nissan in terms of helping its new Alliance partner to modernised product. Mind you, if the company can convince Russians that Lada has changed for the better, it's a brand not exactly short on presence. Almost half the cars on the road are still Ladas.

Given the startling complexity of obtaining a journalist visa for China - the code 'J2' is now indelibly stamped on my mind - it was with some surprise how swiftly I managed to sail through airport im...